Flexible Power Belt Routing for a Multi Vehicle General Motors Engine

ABSTRACT

The embodied invention is directed toward providing a flexible power belt routing to peripheral components by relocating the water pump to a substantially central location on the engine. This is accomplished by designing two adaptor plates which route the coolant water between the water pump and the engine coolant ports. When the water pump is centrally located on the engine, other peripheral belt driven components, such as air conditioning and power steering, can be suitably located around the front of engine so as to permit the motor to be retrofitted into various engine spaces in a variety of cars, trucks, and vehicles.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/857,573 filed on Sep. 17, 2015. The prior referenced application isincluded by reference herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

This invention is directed toward modifying an engine so as to it to fitinside a defined space within a car. It is further directed towardcertain modifications that allow the engine to fit in alternate spacesby relocating the water pump to a different power belt position. Bymounting the water pump in a substantially centered position, a varietyof alternate spaces become available for the overall engine to fit intocar spaces.

(2) Description of Related Art

It has been the desire of automobile enthusiasts to own a particularstyle of older car (classic or vintage car) that runs acceptably tocurrent emission standards, provides exceptional power and torque, andalso has respectable gas mileage. Recognizing the need in themarketplace, auto manufacturers have developed engines that provide forthis market. In particular, General Motors has developed and sold anengine suitable for cars and trucks that meet the needs of the market.The Engine is purchased as a stand-alone unit, with or without atransmission, often called a ‘crate engine’ because it is shipped in acrate. In recent years, General Motors has put a significant developmenteffort to sell an engine with improved specifications.

General Motors has developed various small block, V-8 engines intendedfor use in General Motors line of rear wheel drive cars and trucks. TheGM small-block V-8 engines are generally all-aluminum, especially theperformance oriented engines, while others are made from cast iron.

The small-block engine has been sold in Corvette and a wide variety ofother GM vehicles, sport cars to full size trucks. GM designed theengine to be compact for the power output, making the engine popular forengine swaps, import cars, kit cars, hot rods, boats, buggies, and evenlight aircraft.

The GM small block V8 Generation 5 engine has had a number of designiterations, from Generation 1 to the current Generation 5. Currently,Generation 5 engines feature a revised cooling system and all-newcylinder heads, an engine-driven high-pressure fuel pump,direct-injection system, active fuel management, and continuouslyvariable valve timing. Generation 5 engines are normally aluminum blockswith aluminum cylinder heads.

It is desirable for a car enthusiast to be able to adapt the GM smallblock engine to various engine compartment spaces. This involvesre-locating the water pump to a more desirable location. It is alsodesirable to have the ability to add power steering and chose moremodern peripheral components such as air conditioning compressor units,alternators, brake enhancements, and power steering pumps.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The embodied invention is directed toward providing a flexible powerbelt routing to peripheral components by relocating the water pump to asubstantially central location on the engine. This is accomplished bydesigning two adaptor plates which route the coolant water between thewater pump and the engine coolant ports. When the water pump iscentrally located on the engine, other peripheral belt drivencomponents, such as air conditioning and power steering, can be suitablylocated around the front of engine so as to permit the motor to beretrofitted into various engine spaces in a variety of cars, trucks, andvehicles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIGS. 1A-1G is a left hand adaptor plate.

FIG. 2 is a right hand adaptor plate which is mirror of the left handadaptor plate.

FIG. 3 is an exploded assembly showing an engine front, a pair ofadaptor plates, gaskets, and a water pump.

FIG. 4 shows the adaptor plates when positioned on the engine.

FIGS. 5A-5C show the manufacturer belt drive routing designs.

FIGS. 5D-5E show how the belt drive system is adapted to other potentialbelt routing paths when the water pump is centered on the engine asshown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1A-1G show a left hand (LH) adaptor plate for a water pump. FIG. 1is a front view of the LH adaptor plate. Bolt holes 101 are used tomount the adaptor plate on the front of the engine. An elongated hole102 is used to route the water from the water pump to the engine. Asecond, larger rectangular hole 103 is used to route a different waterstream from the water pump to the engine. In this case the larger holeis tapered to a smaller opening 104 so as to fit the engine front waterport. FIGS. 1B-1G are a left view, top side view, right view, lower sideview, bottom view, and a perspective view. FIG. 1F, in particular, showshow the bottom side of the rectangular hole 105 is adapted to fit thedimension of the engine water port by being slightly taller and narrowerthan the water pump side opening 103.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the right hand (RH) adaptor platewhich is a mirror of the LH adaptor plate.

FIG. 3 shows details of the assembly kit that mounts the water pump on asubstantially centered location, i.e. substantially vertical middle ofthe engine as referenced by the belt pulley position. The water pump 304is mounted on the motor using two gaskets 301,303, a RH adaptor plate302, and bolts 305. Additionally, gaskets 306, 308, and a LH adaptorplate 307 are used. Notably, there are two crank pulleys, a front pulley310 and a back pulley 309, that are mounted side by side and either onecan be used to drive peripheral components.

FIG. 4 shows adaptor plates when positioned on the engine. The parts ofthe water pump 401 is cut away to show the LH adaptor plate 402 and RHadaptor plate 403 underneath.

FIG. 5A shows one of two manufacture issued belt routing designs. Theengine crank pulley 510 is used to drive an off center located waterpump 511, an alternator 512, an air conditioning (A/C) compressor unit513. A tensioner pulley 514 provides belt tension. Ribbing markings 515show that the belt is a two sided ribbed belt.

The two sided ribbing belt is a problem for adapting the engine toinclude components like power steering or a standardized A/C compressorunit. Two sided ribbing belts are sold in limited sizes, and thisrestricts the alternative belt paths for these kind of modifications.

FIG. 5B shows two of two manufacture issued belt routing designs. Thefront and back engine crank pulleys 521 a,b drive an off center locatedwater pump 522, an alternator 523, and an A/C compressor unit 525. Abelt tensioner 524 provides belt tension. The ribbing markings show thatsingle ribbed belts are used. The A/C compressor unit 524 is driven offthe back engine crank pulley. FIG. 5C shows the front crank pulley 521 aand the back crank pulley 521 b in perspective view.

It should be noted that this design shown in FIG. 5B requires two belts.The A/C compressor unit 525 is driven by a separate ribbed belt that isconnected to the back crank pulley 525 b. In this case, the belt thatdrives the A/C compressor unit is awkward as no provision for a normalbelt tensioner is made. Belt tension is provided by a special tool thatassists in mounting the belt, and the stretch in the belt providestension. This design is not helpful in promoting belt life. On the plusside, both belts in this design are single ribbed.

FIG. 5D shows an enhanced belt system design by use of added mountingbrackets. The engine crank pulley 531 drives a power steering unit 533,an alternator 534, a centrally positioned water pump 535, and an A/Ccompressor unit 537. Two idler pulleys 532, 536 are also needed toprovide suitable belt routing. A tensioner 538 provides belt tension.The water pump housing is sketched in a rough outline 539 along with aleft and right side mounting brackets 540,541 for the peripheralcomponents. The ability to centrally locate the water pump is a distinctadvantage of the embodied invention as it provides flexibility in howperipheral components are mounted.

In this layout, a single belt drives all of the peripheral components.Only a single side ribbing belt is needed. It is an advantage to use asingle sided ribbed belt as the double sided ribbed belts are sold inlimited lengths. The water pump 535, idler pulley 532, and tensioner 538all use the smooth side of the belt. A power steering unit 533 has beenadded which is not included in the standard manufacturer design. The A/Ccompressor unit 537 is separated from the engine mounting and beltrouting which provides for the A/C compressor unit to be any desiredstyle, i.e. older A/C when retrofitting an older vehicle, or installinga modern A/C compressor unit.

Other benefits are seen in the ability to adapt the right side mountingbracket 541 to provide use of a variety of different alternators andpower steering units. Also, the positions of the A/C compressor unit,the alternator, and the power steering unit can be changed as neededbased on the space available for the engine. Only the mounting brackets540,541 need to be modified.

The design then provides enhanced flexibility to fit the engine intoolder classic car engine spaces, current car and truck enginecompartments, and also new kit cars. Also the design provides forexpanded capability to locate peripheral components, such as aircompressor units, brake units, power steering units, and alternators, indifferent locations such as are needed to fit/retrofit the GM SmallBlock V8 Gen 5 engine into a variety of engine compartments. Thecapability to do this is a distinct advantage of the embodied invention.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described,the invention may be modified and adapted to various operational methodsto those skilled in the art. Therefore, this invention is not limited tothe description and figure shown herein, and includes all suchembodiments, changes, and modifications that are encompassed by thescope of the claims.

I claim:
 1. Adaptor plates in a coolant assembly designed to adapt theposition of a water pump to an engine comprising: a) said water pumpwith four water pump coolant ports, b) said engine with four enginecoolant ports, c) a pair of said adaptor plates, wherein each saidadaptor plate further comprises: i) an engine side and a pump side, ii)a first coolant opening, wherein
 1. said first coolant opening islocated on said engine side of said adaptor plate,
 2. said first coolantopening corresponds to one said coolant port of said engine, iii) asecond coolant opening, wherein
 1. said second coolant opening islocated on said pump side of said adaptor plate,
 2. said second coolantopening corresponds to one said coolant port of said pump, iv) whereinsaid first coolant opening and said second coolant openings areconnected, v) a third coolant opening, wherein
 1. said third coolantopening is located on said engine side of said adaptor plate,
 2. saidthird coolant opening corresponds to one said coolant port of saidengine, vi) a fourth coolant opening, wherein
 1. said fourth coolantopening is located on said engine side of said adaptor plate,
 2. saidfourth coolant opening corresponds to one said coolant port of saidengine, and d) a pair of gaskets associated with each said adaptorplate.
 2. The adaptor plates of claim 1, wherein said water pump is amechanical water pump designed to be powered by a belt connected to saidengine.
 3. Adaptor plates in a coolant assembly designed to adapt amechanical water pump to an engine comprising: a) said mechanical waterpump with four pump coolant ports, b) said engine with four enginecoolant ports, c) a pair of said adaptor plates, wherein each saidadaptor plate incorporates two coolant pathways, d) wherein said adaptorplates are designed to interconnect said four pump coolant ports to saidfour engine coolant ports, and e) wherein said mechanical water pump ispowered by a belt connected to an engine pulley.